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• Downtown Urbana fosters business and community with late hours

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Second Saturdays. Photo by: Sarah Syman

This Friday, Oct. 23, the shops, galleries and restaurants of downtown Urbana will be keeping their doors open later than usual. Friday marks the Fall Friday Fling, a late night shopping event in downtown Urbana. The event begins at 6 p.m., the hour when most of the businesses in the area would usually close, and runs until 9 p.m. Twelve businesses, most of which are located on Main Street, are participating in the Fall Friday Fling.

The idea originated when Jan Chandler of Heartland Gallery wanted to do something to attract a broader range of people into the store.

“We decided we wanted to do something a little bit different to get the word out to the general public,” said Chandler. Together, she and three other local businesses, Madeline’s Confectionary Arts Studio & Gallery, Furniture Lounge and Cinema Gallery, put the event into action.

As the event was being planned, a host of other shops were added: The Morning Cup & More, Beads ‘N Botanicals, Strawberry Fields, Pizza M, Kalarte Gallery, Priceless Books, Heel to Toe and Klose Knit. Some of the shops will just be offering extended hours, while others are featuring promotions and special sales.

“We just really want to promote the downtown as a place to go to shop,” said Chandler, who added that there are a lot of art-related shops in the area. “Downtown Urbana has been trying to become an arts destination for the last few years.”

Chandler said that the arts are a unique focus of the area, and something a lot of the shops have in common.

“Each of the businesses that represents art in some way is a little different from the others,” said Chandler. In fact, the downtown area offers a range of artsy and cultural activities, from salsa lessons at V. Picasso, the new tapas restaurant, to sugar sculpting classes at Madeline’s Confectionary Arts Studio & Gallery.

But the focus in downtown Urbana isn’t purely artistic. There’s a wide assortment of stores including shoe stores, organic grocery stores and clothing stores. Even in the galleries, you’ll often find more than art.

But Chandler also stressed that her shops offers more than just artwork. The Celtic-influenced gallery has a slew of imported Celtic goods: sweaters, hats, scarves, socks and throws as well as jewelry items. Among a few other promotions, the Heartland Gallery will have “live mannequins” modeling in the front window.

The Urbana Business Association has also helped to coordinate the event, adding their own attractions. Although the event isn’t sponsored by the UBA, they’ve assisted in promoting the event, and even plan on extending it into November and December. Late night shopping nights are planned for Nov. 13, and Dec. 4, Dec. 11, and Dec. 18.

“We’re offering these opportunities on Friday nights so that families that are working can come and have something to eat, enjoy some family time and then do some shopping in a very cool, historic district,” explained Susan Toalson, executive director of the Urbana Business Association. The UBA is planning on adding some festive elements for the November and December dates. The late night shopping nights in November and December will feature fire pits to roast chestnuts and marshmallows, as well as carriage rides.

But the UBA hopes to reach a broader audience than just families. In fact, they see the campus community as a major draw. “We’re looking to bundle information to make it as [college] student-friendly as possible,” said Toalson, who said the UBS is hoping to mix the more traditional, historic activities with some fresh, student-oriented draws. “We’re looking to do the best of both worlds,” she said.

But the event isn’t purely about offering promotions and attracting business — it’s about weaving together local businesses and putting Urbana on the map culturally. “Things are really starting to happen here,” said Toalson. “It’s really becoming a destination.”

Chandler seconded that opinion, adding that there’s a sense of cooperation amongst the shops in the area. “We all try to promote each other,” said Chandler, who regularly posts flyers in her gallery from nearby restaurants and shops. “I feel like all these people on Main street are my neighbors, and I know each of them pretty well by now.”

This neighborly sentiment is spurring a new kind of entrepreneurship in downtown Urbana, one based on cooperation, community and innovation even in these tough economic times. Toalson is excited about this new sense of energy emerging from businesses in the area. “How awesome is [it] that you get your businesses taking forward some initiative and making these cool things happen?” laughed Toalson. “There’s just such a great spirit of camaraderie.”